Page 74 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

4.3 Pathway to standardization: The role of LCI/SETAC/UNEP in framework definition 69
In several studies, indicators for environmental impacts are generally more easily measur-
able and they have been intensively studied and analyzed in the past. According to Maranghi
et al. (2016), many indicators have been largely applied in several different studies, mainly
thanks to the great standardization work done over the years; at the same time, it is necessary
to recognize which indicator can be more significant and crucial for each specific assessment.

4.3.1.8 Interpretation and evaluation of results
The interpretation of results in SLCA, such as in standardized LCA methodology, has to
verify completeness and full overlay of all impacts, consistency and sensitivity, relevance of
information, and engagement of stakeholders Evaluation can use a wide range of quantita-
tive, semiquantitative, or totally qualitative methods, standardized or specifically performed
for a certain product. The actual evaluation of social aspects has to be devoted to finding so-
lutions to put in action.
It is therefore a firm belief that the evaluation of circularity and of whole life cycle thinking
strategies should be performed not only from an environmental life cycle perspective, but also
including social and economic considerations (Princigallo et al., 2016). To support the
decision-making process, environmental life cycle indicator scores and economic criteria
can be combined with social assessment together with a multicriteria decision analysis meth-
odology, which allows the weighting of the different scores.
For the LCSA framework improvements, Neugebauer et al. (2015) suggested a new ap-
proach, named “tiered approach,” to implement LCSA considering an indicator hierarchy
and implementing evaluation phase thanks to a whole assessment. For an effective practical
implementation of LCSA, the authors defined three levels of analysis, starting with meaning-
ful indicators on level 1 (defined as “sustainability footprint”), then adding additional indi-
cators, such as best practices at a second level, and concluding with a complete set of
indicators for a whole sustainable performance comprehensive assessment at the third level.
All indicators have to be performed for each level, taking into consideration the main prop-
erties they must have, i.e., relevance, robustness of the method, and feasibility (Fig. 4.9).

4.3.2 The life cycle initiative as a tool for LCSA application
c
The UN Environment Life Cycle Initiative is a public-private, multistakeholder partner-
ship enabling the global use of credible life cycle knowledge by private and public decision
makers. It has existed for more than 15years, since being launched by UN Environment and
the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) in 2002. It is life cycle ap-
proach oriented, supporting decisions and policies makers towards the “shared vision of sus-
tainability as a public good” by engaging its multistakeholder partnership (governments,
businesses, and scientific and civil society organizations). Life Cycle Initiative is also promot-
ing an “Integration of social aspects into LCA.” The system of methods used in LCA was car-
ried out and verified by UNEP-SETAC, in order to understand whether and how the social
aspects can be considered together with the environmental ones or combined and connected
to develop a social LCA in order to achieve a complete LCSA.

c
https://www.lifecycleinitiative.org/about/about-lci/.